Industrial Readiness Certification Program

The FCA-UAW Apprenticeship Program is an opportunity for employees who are self-motivated and desire to further their career with FCA. At the same time, the program provides FCA a means to supply a new generation of highly skilled and highly motivated tradespersons to support FCA’s future plans.

How to qualify for the FCA-UAW Apprenticeship Program:
All full-time seniority FCA employees who are interested in being considered for placement on your respective FCA-UAW Apprenticeship Program Labor Market Area Eligibility List (“LMA Eligibility List”) must first successfully complete the Industrial Readiness Certificate Program (IRCP). The IRCP is comprised of three standardized instructional courses that will be offered through FCA’s local approved colleges and/or online provider. The IRCP courses are:

IRCP1: Mathematics – Shop Arithmetic

IRCP2: Drafting – Machine Tool Blueprint Reading

IRCP3: Trade Related Preparation

Each course will require successful completion with a passing grade of 75% or higher to qualify for the apprenticeship program. FCA eligible employees are required to contact the approved colleges to register for the IRCP classes, the Tuition Assistance Plan benefits will apply. The following are approved FCA local colleges:

Macomb Community College

Henry Ford Community College

Owens College

Ivy Tech College

Rock Valley College

Online provider: Penn Foster

Eligibility List:
The number of apprentices needed in a Labor Market Area for a given year is determined as provided in Letter 57 of the National Production, Maintenance, and Parts Agreement. The submission window will be opened for eligible candidates to be placed on the LMA Eligibility List beginning April 2019. Submission of required documents must be completed by July 31, 2019.

To be eligible for placement on the LMA Eligibility List, the employee must submit the IRCP Certificate of Completion and course transcripts to the Local Plant Apprenticeship Committee for review and processing; at which time, the potential candidate will be required to complete the FCA Trade Preference Selection form indicating his/her skilled trades classifications preferences. The Local Plant Apprenticeship Committee will then forward the potential candidates’ information and documentation to the FCA-UAW National Apprentice Committee for review and approval.

Once approved, the National Apprentice Committee will notify qualifying candidates that they are being placed on the respective Labor Market’s current Apprentice Eligibility List consistent with FCA-UAW Apprenticeship Program established processes. Candidates will be ranked in seniority order on the LMA Eligibility List for the specific submission window – Apprentice Eligibility List(s) will be closed out in sequential order prior to moving on to candidates from any of the succeeding windows.

Apprenticeship Experience:
Each employee will be assigned to a Skilled Trade and Plant in their respective Labor Market Area. At the onset of a new FCA apprenticeship, an employee will attend a six-week Skill Enhancement Program consisting of Health and Safety, General Core Skills, Trade Specific and WCM training modules. Back at their assigned plant(s), apprentices will be paired with journeypersons from his/her trade and required to complete a predetermined number of hours in various trade-related work processes, completing related training instruction at a local community college, and other advance training. An apprentice’s progress will be tracked and evaluated by the plant’s Local Apprenticeship Committee and the National Apprenticeship Committee. The total length of an apprenticeship is approximately 8,000 hours, or approximately 4 years.